Rose plant named Weopop

ABSTRACT

A new decorative white miniature rose which is a sport of the rose known as &#34;Popcorn&#34;.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of roseplant of the miniature rose class, which was discovered and firstasexually reproduced by the named inventors herein. The denomination ofthis new rose is "Weopop".

The new variety cv. Weopop may be distinguished from other presentlyavailable commercial rose cultivars by the following combination ofcharacteristics: its abundant production of flower clusters whichprovide a nearly continuous display of color in the garden, its bushyfull slightly pendulous habit, its sweet honey-like fragrance, itsabove-average disease resistance in Canoga Park, Calif., and its cleanwhite bloom color essentially as described and illustrated herein.Asexual reproduction by budding of the new variety as performed in SanBernardino County, Calif. shows that the foregoing and otherdistinguishing characteristics come true to form and are established andtransmitted through succeeding propagations.

The accompanying photographs illustrate both the parent plant(positioned on the left side) and the new cultivar (positioned on theright side) in one photograph and the blossom features of the newcultivar in the other photograph. Throughout this specification, colornames are values based upon the Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety of London, England.

The new rose may be distinguished from its unpatented parent, "Popcorn"by the following combination of characteristics: significantly largerleaves, significantly larger flower size, and significantly largeroverall habit essentially as described and illustrated herein. Flowersize of the parent "Popcorn" is 1.5 to 2 cm. and flower size of the newvariety is 2.5 to 3 cm.

Descriptive matter which follows pertains to roses of the new cultivargrown outdoors in September in San Bernardino County, Calif.

FLOWER

The new variety usually bears several flowers per stem. Flowers areborne in irregular pyramidal clusters on normal strength medium longstems for the class. Outdoors the plant blooms very abundantly andnearly continuously during the growing season. The flowers have amoderate sweet honey fragrance.

BUD

The peduncle is of average length for the class, of slender to averagecaliper, and usually erect. It is almost entirely smooth with fewstipitate glands, and numerous fine hairs. Peduncle color is betweenYellow-Green 144B and Yellow-Green 146C.

Before the calyx breaks, the bud is of small to medium size for theclass, moderatedly short in length, and pointed to globular in shape.The surface of the bud bears numerous stipitate glands usually withslender foliaceous parts extending beyond the tip of the bud equal to1/2 or more of its length. Bud color before sepals fall, is betweenYellow-Green 144B and Yellow-Green 146C.

The inner surface of the sepals is lined with fine wooly tomentum; sepalmargins are lined with few finely cut foliaceous parts and somestipitate glands and hairs.

As the first petal opens, the bud is moderately small to medium size forthe class, somewhat short to medium length, and somewhat pointed toglobular in form. The color of the outside and inside surfaces of thenewly opened petals is near Yellow-White 158B. The bud does open up welland is not prevented from opening by wet, cold, hot, or dry weather.

BLOOM

When fully open, the bloom is somewhat small to medium size for theclass, ranging from 2.5 to 3.0 cms. in diameter. Petalage is double with25 to 28 petals and 1 to 4 petaloids arranged regularly. When partiallyopen, the bloom form is moderately cupped to globular, and the petalsare somewhat loosely cupped. When fully open, the bloom form is somewhatmore flat to cupped and the petals are more flat to undulated.

PETALS

The petals are of moderately light substance and of medium thickness,with inside surfaces slightly satiny and outside surfaces slightly shinyto satiny. The outside petals are somewhat narrowly obovate in shapewith apices somewhat rounded and usually slightly notched with onenotch. The inside petals are somewhat narrowly obovate to oblanceolatein shape with apices usually slightly notched with one to two notches.

NEWLY OPENED FLOWER

The outside and inside surface of the outside, intermediate and innerpetals is between Yellow-White 158D and White 155B.

The general color effect of the newly opened flower is betweenYellow-White 158D and White 155B.

THREE DAY OLD FLOWER

The outside and inside surface of the outside and inner petals isbetween White 155B and White 155D.

The general color effect of the three day old flower is between White155B and White 155D.

On the spent bloom, the petals usually drop off cleanly and are notparticularly affected by cold, hot, wet, or dry weather.

In September, blooms on the bush growing in the garden generally lastfrom two to three days. Cut roses grown outdoors are kept at normalindoor living temperatures generally last from two to three days.

MALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Stamens are few in number and are arranged irregularly about the pistil;several are mixed with petaloids. The filaments are of moderately shortlength, many without anthers. The anthers are moderately small for theclass and all open approximately at the same time. Another color is nearYellow-Orange 21B when immature and near Yellow 13A at maturity. Pollenis somewhat sparse and near Yellow 13C in color.

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

Pistils are few in number (approximately 14). The styles are somewhatuneven, very short in length, somewhat average caliper, and moderatelybunched. Stigma color is near Green-Yellow 1C. Ovaries are usually allenclosed in the calyx.

Hips have not been observed on this variety.

FOLIAGE

The compound leaves are usually comprised of three to seven andsometimes nine or more leaflets and are borne abundantly. The leaves aremoderately large for the class, distinctively larger than its parent"Popcorn", somewhat heavy to crisp in texture, and semi-glossy infinish. The leaflets are shaped moderately oval with somewhat acute tomucronate apices and somewhat acute bases. Their margins are usuallysimply serrate.

The upper surface of the mature leaf is between Green 137A andYellow-Green 147A. The under surface of the mature leaf is between Green138B and Yellow-Green 148B. The upper surface of the young leaf isbetween Yellow-Green 146A and Yellow-Green 147A. The under surface ofthe young leaf is near Yellow-Green 147B.

The rachis is somewhat light to average in caliper and moderatelygrooved with some stipitate glands and hairs on the edges of the upperside. The under side of the rachis is somewhat smooth with few stipitateglands and small prickles.

The stipules are of moderately long length with medium width moderatelyshort points that usually turn out at an angle of more than 90 degrees.

The plant displays an above average degree of resistance to powderymildew and rust as compared to other commercial varieties grown undercomparable conditions.

GROWTH

The new plant has a large growth habit for a cultivar of this class andmay achieve growth as much as twice the height of the parent plant. Itdisplays very vigorous growth and the canes are of light to mediumcaliper for the class.

The major stems are new Yellow-Green 146D. They bear few large prickleswhich are moderately long for the class. The large prickles are hookedmoderately downward with a somewhat long narrow base; prickle color isnear Greyed-Orange 165B. The major stem bears no small prickles and nohairs.

The branches are between Yellow-Green 144A and Yellow-Green 147A. Theybear few large prickles which are moderately long for the class. Thelarge prickles are hooked moderately downward with a somewhat longnarrow base; prickle color is near Greyed-Yellow 161B. The branches bearno small prickles and no hairs.

The new shoots are between Yellow-Green 144B and Yellow-Green 147C. Theybear few large prickles which are moderately long for the class. Thelarge prickles are hooked moderately downward with a somewhat longnarrow base; prickle color is near Greyed-Orange 165B. The shoots bearno small prickles and no hairs.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of rose plant of the miniaturerose class, and all parts thereof, substantially as shown and described,which is a sport of the parent rose known as "Popcorn"; the plant beingparticularly characterized by white flowers larger in size than itsparent attractively displayed on a vigorous plant with dark greenfoliage larger than its parent.